Spiritual Journey

A famous C3 racer delights European fans once more

The story of John Greenwood taking Rick Mancuso's No. 76 "Spirit of Le Mans" Corvette to the famous French race is virtually a legend. The short version starts with the fact that, in 1976, attendance at Le Mans was slipping. Several years of fuel shortages and other economic problems in Europe hit road-racing hard. Something had to be done to lure in the crowds. The sights and sounds of the Heinz and Greenwood big-block Vettes in 1972 and 1973 had fascinated the Europeans, so it was logical for the organizers to extend an invitation to Greenwood to bring back at least one of these cars.

When he received the invitation to return to Le Mans, Greenwood didn't have a "legal" car. His two team cars—Spirit of Le Mans Nos. 75 and 76—were too highly modified to meet FIA/ACO regulations. The full coilover suspension, for example, was definitely not stock configuration. But the No. 76 Mancuso car (chassis No. 007) would meet the requirements for the GT class. Mancuso and Greenwood were business associates and friends, so it wasn't surprising when Mancuso agreed to let his car be prepped for the world's most grueling endurance race. (He couldn't go himself, as he was working at his car dealership, and simply couldn't get the time off. It was probably one of the major disappointments of his career.)

3/10

The car qualified ninth and hit 216 mph on the Mulsanne Straight—much to the astonishment of the crowd. While it did not finish the race, it did achieve its overall objective of stirring the interest of European race fans and improving attendance. Le Mans organizers were well satisfied with their investment.

After the car returned to the U.S., Mancuso continued to race it as both No. 76 and No. 77. As with most race cars, though, it eventually passed through a series of owners. Mancuso sold it to Kerry Hitt, in Pennsylvania. Hitt ran Trans-Am with the car and then sold it to Paul Canary. From there it went to Atlanta Ferrari dealer George Nuse, who, in turn, sold it to Jack Boxstrom. Current owner Steve Goldin bought the Spirit of Le Mans car from Boxstrom in 1992 or 1993, at which point it underwent its first real restoration. By 1994 it had been restored and had a new engine prepped by Gary Smith of Carolina Racing Engines (located, oddly, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida). While the new motor put out a little more power than did the original from 1976, the car otherwise came out of the process pretty much as-built.

4/10

Goldin has driven the car in various vintage races for the last 18 years, and has put it on display at such prestigious events as the Greenwood Reunion at Corvettes at Carlisle in 2004. While there are plenty of exciting anecdotes associated with this part of the car's history, it's all just background to our current story.

This is the view most cars get when they're running with the No. 76 Spirit of Le Mans. Greenwood built it well; Goldin restored it better. Photo by Tim Scott/Fluid Images.

Ample space is provided for competitors at the Goodwood event. Solid logistics account for much of the event's success.

The hood design for the Spirit of Le Mans car is an iconic American Revolution theme, reflecting a time when the French assisted American militiamen in their struggle against British rule.

One of Greenwood's tricks for making big power was the then-new Kinsler-Lucas fuel-injection system, with its legendary cross-ram intake. It was a thing of beauty, but not cheap.

Unexpected help arrived when former Monster Garage host Jesse James pitched in to help with the throttle linkage. Standing next to James is Matt McSwain, Goldin's crew chief.

Cars International handled the trip's logistics. From the Renngruppe shops to Goodwood, on to Le Mans (where it's shown here unloading), and back to the USA, the transport company catered to Goldin's every need.

The car was entered in the Le Mans Classic's prestigious concours event. While it didn't take top honors there, it was among the show's fan favorites.

Everyone dreams of having his or her car shot in a studio. At Le Mans, the Virage mobile studio can make this dream a reality.